Machine for filling ball-retainers



J. DLESK.

MACHINE FOB FILLING BALL RETAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. I920.

Patented Dec 27, 1921.

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MACHINE FOR FILLING BALL RETAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO, I920. I

1,401,680, Patented Dec. 27, 1921..

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THAGHINE F FEELING BALL- JOHN DLESK, 0F BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGR CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. C00 1 ater FFEQE.

TO U. S BALL BING- MFG. 60., 0F

EEGN 0F IELHTOIS.

onceo.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Patented Dee. 2'7, 11921.

Application filed May 10, 1920. Serial No. 380,296.

' vention is fully described in the following specification and shown in the drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the filling machine showing a ball-retainer which has been filled and is about to be removed therefrom. Fi 2 is an. enlar ed partial vertical section s owlng the halls ust enterin the retainer. Fig. 3 1s a view simi lar to ig. 2showin the balls completely forced into place'in t e retainer. Fig. dis a front elevation of an inner ball-race, a ball-retainer and balls in place therein; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

I have illustrated as an embodiment of my invention a machine consisting of the frame 10, which carries a receptacle 11 in which is placed a quantity of steel balls A plunger 13 1s slidable vertically. in said frame but is narrowly retained in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of, the springs 14, which are inclosed in the o ening 10* of the main frame. The upper end of the plunger 13'is counter-bored at 13 to accommodate a particular size of inner ball-race 15 and has an annular ledge 13 which is adapted to receive the ball-retainer 16.

A reciprocating member 17 is moved up and down by any suitable source of ower (not shown). In its uppermost position it israised sufiiciently above the position shown in Fig. 1 to allow the empty retainer 16 and inner raceway 15 to be inserted. As this reciprocating member descends it bears upon the raceway 16, forcin it together with the plunger 13 downwardy thereby compressm the springs 14 as shown in Fig. 2.

he frame 10 has vertical openings through which pass vertical guide-rods 18 which are secured at their upper ends to the agitator 19. These rods are surrounded by springs 20 which normally hold the agitator in its uppermost position. Radial guideways 21 with the inner raceway, as shown in are provided in-the agitator, the number of these guideways correspondingto' the number of balls to be inserted in the particular ball-retainer which it is intended to fill.

It will thus be seen that the balls are fed down these guideways or channels and that there will always be" a ball at the lower end of each channel ready to be inserted into the ball-retainer as the ball-retainer moves down with the plunger.

- The front ball 12 in the guideway is retained in the position shown in Fig. 1 until I the retainer moves down in front of it as shown in Fig. 2. The ledge 13 is milled to fit the retainer. If the retainer is not quite in position to register with the guideways 21, weight of the balls will automatically turn it to the proper position for a ball to enter each opening therein, as shown in Fig. 2. The shoulder 22* of the hollow funnelshaped guide die 22 normallyretains the ball in the position 12 until the ball-retainer passes in front of it, thereby permittin it to drop into the position 12", as shown in i 2.

As the ball-retainer is forced fart er down, the funnel-shaped'sides of the guide 22 force the balls inwardly into the retaineras shown at 12 in Fig. 3. At the same time a shoulder 17 on the reciprocating member 17 engages the agitator 19, forcing it downwardly against the action of the springs 20 and thereby agitates the balls in the hopper 11. This agitation insures a continuous feeding of balls down the channels 21.

The reciprocating'member 17 now moves npwardlyand the agitator 19 and plunger 13 are returned to the osition shown in Fig. 1 by the springs 20 and 14, respectively. The reciprocating member 17 now rises far enough to permitthe filled retainer, to ethei 1 and 5, to be removed as a unit and a nev inner raceway and empty retainer to be insertedas before.

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made which do not depart from the spirit of my invention, as disclosed in the appended claims in which it is my intention to claim all noveltyinherent in the invention, as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopper associated therewith, a guide having a central funnel-shaped opening, guideways radiatin therefrom and communicating with said hopper, a member reciprocating in said guide, said member adapted to receive a ball retainer and a plunger for forcing said member down whereby the retainer will be brought in front of said guideways and forced into said guide.

2. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopperasociated therewith, a guide having a central funnel shaped opening, guideways radiatin therefrom and communicating with said opper, a member reciprocating in said guide, said member adapted to receive a ball retainer and a plunger for forcing said member down whereby the retainer will be brought in front of said guide- Ways and forced into said guide, and means for agitating balls in said hopper,

3. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopper associated therewith, a guide having a central funnel shaped opening, guideways radiating therefrom and communicating with said hopper, a member 'reciprocating in said guide, said member adapted to recelve a ball retainer and a plunger forforcing said member down whereby the retainer will be brought in front of said guideways and forced into said guide. and means" for agitatin balls in said hopper, said means being opera le by said plunger.

4. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopper associated therewith, a guide having a central opening, guideways radiating therefrom and communicating with said hopper, a member reciprocating 'insaid guide, said member adapted to receive a ball retainer, and a plunger for forcing said member down whereby the retainer will be brought in front of said guideways and forced into said guide, and means? for agitating balls in said hopper, said means being operated by a shoulder on said plunger near the bottom of its stroke.

5. In a machine of the class described, a

radial openings frame, a hopper associated therewith, a guide having a central funnel shaped opening, guideway radiating therefrom and communicating with said hopper, a member reciprocating in said guide, said member adapted to recelve a ball retainer, spring means for holding said member in a raised position, and a lunger for forcing said member down where y the retainer will be brought in frost of said guideways'and forced into said gui e.

6. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopper associated therewith, a guide having a central funnel-shaped opening, a member movable axially therethrough and adapted to carry a ball retainer and an inner raceway, and means for reciprocating said member with respect to said guide.-

7. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopper associated therewith a guide having a central funnel-shaped opening, a member movable axially therethrough and adapted to carry a ball retainer and an inner raceway, means for reciprocating said member with respect to said guide, and means to permit said ball retainer to rotate with respect to the balls to cause the openings therein to register with said balls.

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a hopper associated therewith, a guide having a central funnel-shaped opening,v

therefrom and commuguideways radiatin hopper, a member recipnicating with said 'rocating in said guide, said member adapted to receive a ball retainer, and a plunger for forcing said member down whereby the retainer will be brought in front of said guideways, and forced into said guide and means to permitsaid ball retainer to rotate with respect to the balls to cause the openings therein to register with said balls.

9. In a machine for filling ball retainers, 'means for holdin a ball retainer having or the balls, means for feeding balls to said openings and means operable by movement of said retainer for forcing a ball into each of said openings simultaneously. Y JOHN DLE SK. 

